Light, Hope, Cherry Blossom, and a Wolf
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: Kari is transfered to a new school where she makes friends with the Cardcaptors. When she disappears, it's up to them to find T.K. and save Kari.


Author's note: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura, Digimon, or any of their characters. Please do not sue me; I have to pay student loans.

* * *

Light, Hope, Cherry Blossom, and a Wolf

Kari smoothed out the wrinkles that did not exist from her school uniform for the umpteenth time. She wasn't like her brother Tai, who made friends easily; she has always been the shy one, especially at school. Now here she was, going to a new school where she knew absolutely no one. No, today was not a good day.

***

Sakura sighed happily; everything was right again. This morning on her way to school she had run into Syaoran. He was back from Hong Kong and would be staying. They day couldn't be better.

***

"Class, we have two new students joining us this year," the teacher said.

Kari was glad she wasn't the only new student. Standing in front of the class by herself would have been awful.

"This is Syaoran Li. Some of you may remember him; he attended Tomoeda Elementary with several of you. Li-kun, please sit behind Kinomoto-san."

The boy went and sat behind a girl with short brown hair and emerald eyes.

"This is Hikari Kamiya. She's just moved to Tomoeda. Kamiya-san, please sit behind Daidouji-san."

She took her seat behind a raven haired girl. Interestingly, it was also next to Syaoran. When they were dismissed for lunch, everyone left laughing and chatting with their friends.

"Hikari-san, would you like to eat with lunch with me and my friends?" Kinomoto-san asked.

"Sure," Kari said tentatively.

"I'm Sakura."

"My friends call me Kari."

Sakura led her to a tree where both Syaoran and Daidouji-san were sitting.

"Kari, this is Tomoyo and Syaoran."

Kari smiled shyly. By the end of lunch, she found herself laughing and enjoying her herself. Over the next couple of the weeks, Kari became good friends with Sakura, Tomoyo, and Syaoran.

The four of them were packing up their school bags for the weekend when Kari asked, "a friend of mine is visiting tomorrow. Would you mind if he came skating with us?"

"No problem," Sakura said.

When they met at the rink the next day, a blond guy their age with blue-green eyes was with Kari.

"Guys, this is one my best friends T.K.," Kari said, "These are my friends from school, Sakura, Tomoyo, and Syaoran."

"It's nice to meet you," T.K. said.

They went inside and rent ice skates. Once they were on the ice, Kari, Sakura, Syaoran, and T.K. didn't notice Tomoyo video taping them. The four of them were rather unsteady on skates. After awhile they got the hang of it.

About an hour later, Kari and Sakura went to go get hot chocolate for everyone. Syaoran found himself liking T.K. They had a lot in common.

Kari waved them over once she and Sakura had gotten the hot chocolate. After another few hours, the five of them were exhausted. As they were walking out of the rink, Syaoran sensed something.

"Sakura, do you..."

He did not have time to finish the sentence. Something leapt at them. He looked helplessly at Sakura who nodded and pulled out her key. But before she could summon one of her cards, two creatures jumped out of a tree and attacked the thing.

The creatures made short work of the thing. The one with wings then perched on T.K.'s head while the catlike one jumped into Kari's arms. Which was probably why those two were taking the want Sakura held in stride. It looked like they were used to strange things occurring.

"Um, do you want to explain why you're not freaking out?" Sakura asked.

"Sure if you explain the same thing," Kari replied.

The five of them went to a park. After arranging themselves on a bench, Kari asked, "Do you want to go first or should we?"

"Why don't you," Syaoran said.

"Okay. This is Gatomon," Kari gestured to the creature on her lap. "And that's Patamon. They're digimon; digital monsters."

"Kari, me, and several others are Digidestined. We have digimon partners, and most of us have been to the digiworld," T.K. added.

"The digiworld?" Tomoyo asked.

"It's a dimension parallel to ours where the digimon exist," Kari explained. "So what's your story?"

"I'm the Mistress of the Sakura Cards. Several years ago I accidentally released the Clow Cards. I was appointed cardcaptor and had to find and seal them."

"That was when I showed up. I had also been sent to capture the Clow Cards," Syaoran added. 

"After I had captured all the cards and was named Card Mistress, another series of strange events started happening, and I had to transform the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards."

"So, we won't tell if you don't tell," Kari offered.

"Sounds good to me," Sakura replied.

She and Kari were suddenly aware that Tomoyo was video taping all this. Both blushed. T.K. turned to Syaoran.

"Does she tape everything?"

"Pretty much."

The five of them spent the rest of the afternoon recounting some of their adventures. After a while T.K. said, "I probably should be going. I have to be home in an hour or so."

Together the five of them walked to the train station. Sakura, Tomoyo, and Syaoran all noticed that some of the light faded from Kari's eyes when T.K. disappeared from sight.

Sakura convinced Kari to try out for the cheerleading team with her. Both of them made it. Syaoran had tried out for the soccer team and had been named team captain. They were all excited about the game against T.K.'s school because he said he'd come and cheer them on.

"Are you ready?" Sakura asked Kari as the waited for the game to start.

"Not really."

"Oh look, there's T.K. He's sitting next to a girl with purple hair."

"That's Yolei, well her real name's Miyako; she's Digidestined too."

Kari scanned the crowd; she sighed when she saw the opposing team.

"Great, Davis is here. I was hoping to avoid him."

"Who?" asked Sakura.

"Davis, he's one of the Digidestined. He also has a major crush on me. I'm not interested."

"Because of T.K.?"

Kari blushed. Then the game started. At first, Davis' team was winning. He and a player Kari identified as Ken seemed unstoppable. But then Syaoran's team made a comeback. They were tied in the last period. Just before the buzzer rang, Syaoran scored the winning goal.

Sakura and Kari were leading the pack of students that raced onto the field. Syaoran received hugs from both of them and a kiss on the cheek from Sakura. Kari felt someone tap her on the shoulder; it was T.K. She flung her arms around him.

"We did it!" she cheered.

Tomoyo was taping the entire thing. Davis glare at the oblivious T.K. and Kari. He tried to make his way over to them but lost them in the crowd.

It was the high point in Kari's fall. Later she caught a cold which quickly became worse. She was sick for a week and a half. The girl was still weak when she returned to school. And she wasn't the only one. Almost everyone in the school was ill at one time or another.

T.K. had been unable to visit for several weeks, and Kari missed him desperately. She was still feeling sick and had fallen into a depression.

A few days after they had returned to school after being sick, Sakura and Syaoran started to worry about Kari. She was unfocused and didn't seem altogether there.

During math, Sakura was sure she was seeing things. Kari seemed to be flickering in and out like static. Then all of a sudden she was gone.

From Syaoran's gasp, Sakura figured that he'd seen Kari disappear too. As soon as they had a chance, the two of them discussed the event.

"I didn't sense anything though."

"Maybe we should find Gatomon."

"She's over at my house with Kero."

For a moment the two of them debated waiting till school was over, but it was only second period, and this was too important to wait. They silently slipped off campus.

Gatomon was extremely worried when she heard what had happened, "We have to get T.K."

"But we don't know where his school is," Sakura said.

"I know how to get there. We have to hurry."

"Why do we need T.K.?" Syaoran asked.

"Last time this happened he was the one who was able to reach her."

After a half hour train ride and a twenty minute walk, the three of them stood in front of T.K.'s school. Lunch had just started.

"T.K.!" Sakura called when she saw him. He was talking with Yolei and Davis.

"Sakura, Syaoran, what are you doing here?" he stood on the other side of the fence.

"I brought them," Gatomon said. "Kari's disappeared again like with the black ocean."

Davis and Yolei had followed T.K. and had heard Gatomon's words.

"We've got to save her!" Davis exclaimed.

Syaoran looked the boy over; he wasn't impressed. Sakura had told him about Kari's feelings for Davis, and he had the feeling that Kari would not want him along on the rescue mission.

"Let me get Patamon, and we can go," T.K. said ignoring Davis. "Did Kari mention a beach or anything like that lately?"

"Not that I know of," Sakura replied.

"We should go back to where she disappeared the. Hopefully we can find a portal to where Kari went."

Patamon came winging down from a tree. T.K. nimbly scaled the fence and joined Sakura, Syaoran, and Gatomon.

"Let's go."

"Hey what about us?" Davis cried.

"You can tell Tai and Matt what happened," T.K. said.

"But..." Davis was cut off by Syaoran.

"Goodbye."

Davis watched in disbelief as the three humans and two digimon walked away without a backward glance. Yolei smiled slightly; Kari was her friend, and it was obvious to her that Kari was in love with T.K., and he was in love with her.

The train ride back to Tomoeda was tense. No one really wanted to talk much. School had just let out when they arrived back in Tomoeda. They found nothing in the school room. They were searching the school grounds when T.K.'s digivice began to beep. As the drew closer to the tree Kari, Sakura, Tomoyo, and Syaoran ate lunch under, the beeping grew louder.

There was a soft purple glow illuminating the spot. The looked at each other. 

"Well, it's worth a try," T.K. said.

The five of them stepped into the light. Sakura blinked; they weren't in the schoolyard anymore. They were at a beach, but everything around them was in black in white, and the colors of their clothes were muted.

"Where are we?" Syaoran asked; he had pulled out his sword and was looking warily around.

"We're at the dark ocean," T.K. replied. "Let's find Kari."

They started walking down the beach. A half mile later they caught sight of something. They started to run.

It was Kari. She stood halfway up to her knees in the water. She didn't seem to hear them calling her at all. T.K. was the first to reach her. He grabbed the girl and shook her; Kari didn't respond. With Syaoran's help, he got her out of the water.

"Kari? Kari!" Gatomon was frantic.

She didn't respond. Kari lay in T.K.'s arms; her eyes were blank. Sakura and Syaoran knelt next to them.

"Kari? Come on, come back. Please Kari," T.K.'s voice was desperate.

Kari blinked slowly, but her eyes stayed blank.

"Kari?" Sakura's voice was tentative. "You've got to wake up. We have a game to cheer at next week."

Still there was no response. Syaoran looked grim. T.K. gently brushed the stray strands of hair out of Kari's face. He looked lost. Sakura reached into her pocket and removed the Sakura Cards looking for something that might help. She found nothing; Sakura hated being helpless. Suddenly an idea occurred to her.

"Try kissing her."

Her suggestion was rewarded with blank stares form the guys.

"Well, it works in the movies."

T.K. sighed then gently covered Kari's mouth with his own. A moment later her eyes flickered to life.

"T.K.?"

He was blushing. Kari blinked and looked around.

"Sakura, Syaoran, how did you get here?"

Sakura laughed, and Syaoran grinned; they were both relieved that Kari had woken up.

"It's a long story," Syaoran replied dryly.

Gatomon pounced on her, "Kari!. If you ever do something like this to me again..."

She left the threat hanging. Kari just hugged her digimon. Sakura helped Kari to her feet. The two girls hugged, and Kari noticed her slightly wet state.

"Let's get out of here. I Want a hot shower and dry clothes," she said.

"That may be easier said than done," Syaoran said.

He pointed to an approaching dit that quickly became a large digimon. The six of them hurriedly ,made their way to the point where the had first entered the realm of the dark ocean.

Kari stumbled and fell to her knees. T.K. was at her side in an instant. As T.K. helped her to her feet, Patamon placed himself between them and the approaching digimon.

"Boom Bubble Pah!"

The little burst of energy flew at the digimon. It only served as a distraction, but it gave Kari time to scramble to her feet. She pulled her digivice out of her pocket.

"Gatomon amour digivolve to Nefertimon."

T.K. and Kari scrambled onto Nefertimon's back. T.K. rummaged in his pockets to find his digivice.

"Patamon amour digivolve to Pegasusmon."

He knelt by Syaoran and Sakura, "Quickly get on my back."

Syaoran climbed on and pulled Sakura up after him. Pegasusmon and Nefertimon raced up into the air. Soon their surroundings began to change as a surge of power pulled them back into their own dimension. When they landed back at the school, the two digimon dedigivolved back to the regular forms. Sakura noticed Kari was leaning heavily on T.K. They heard footsteps behind them.

"Kari!"

She whirled around to see her older brother, Tai, running toward them along with Matt, T.K.'s brother.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine thanks," she sneezed.

"You're also soaking wet."

Kari made a face at him.

"My house isn't that far from here," Sakura said. "We could go there for explanations. You can borrow some of my clothes Kari."

Thirty minutes later they were seated in Sakura's living room. Kari had changed into a sweatshirt and pants of Sakura's and was seated between Tai and T.K. Both Sakura's brother and father were at work, so they could speak freely.

About halfway through the explanation Tai noticed that Kari had dozed off her head resting on T.K.'s shoulder. He smiled and said, "Let's get Kari home. T.K., you and Matt can stay at our place for the night before you head home."

"Thanks Tai," Matt replied.

Tai carried Kari home piggyback. She slept for the next to days but was fine otherwise.

***

In April, Sakura began to be very jumpy and nervous. Except when she was around Syaoran. It worried Kari. She mentioned it to Syaoran, and he told her it had him worried as well.

Their class was getting ready for the yearly play. This year they were doing Ever After, a variation on the Cinderella story. Sakura and Syaoran had been cast as the leads of Danielle and Henry while Kari was Jacqueline, the nice stepsister. Tomoyo had a bit part as Princess Gabriella and was in charge of all the costumes.

The week of the play, T.K. has spring break and was staying with Kari along wit Tai and Matt. He'd been coming to practices and helping out. Four days before opening night, Kenichi, who played Captain Laurret, broke his leg, so T.K. was drafted to play his part. Luckily, it wasn't a huge part, and T.K. quickly learned his lines.

The five of them were hanging out in the park after practice two days before the play when Sakura suddenly sat bolt upright her eyes full of fear. Syaoran reached over to touch her shoulder, "Sakura, what's wrong?"

"It's there again," she replied.

"What's there?"

"That presence. The one that's been watching me."

"What are you talking about?"

"A presence has been watching me for the last month or so. It always feels so, so malevolent and hateful."

She shuttered slightly, and Syaoran wrapped an arm around her. Kari spoke up, "When is it around?"

"Whenever I'm alone, and sometimes when I'm with other people." A puzzled look appeared on her face, "But never when I'm with Syaoran until now."

Kari and T.K. shared a look; this was not good.

"Is there ever a specific person around when you sense the presence?" T.K. asked.

Sakura shook her head. Syaoran looked thoughtful, "I there's something we can do to identify this presence, but thus isn't exactly the best time or place to do it. Can you guys meet me on the roof of the school tonight?"

"I think we can manage that," T.K. replied.

Tomoyo's eyes were wide with delight, "I'd better go start on Sakura's costume for tonight."

Sakura groaned; Kari patted her arm in sympathy.

"And of course I'll have to make costumes for Kari and T.K. as well."

T.K. looked at her in alarm; Syaoran patted his arm in sympathy.

When they met that night, all were in costume except for Tomoyo. T.K. and Kari had matching costumes that slightly resembled school uniforms. T.K.'s was light green while Kari's was pink. Sakura wore a Chinese costume that was light pink and seemed to be based on the green robes Syaoran wore. Tomoyo was also taping everything.

"So what are you going to do?" T.K. asked.

Syaoran produced his laisen board, "I think I can locate the presence with this, but I'm not sure what's going to happen when I do since we have no idea what we're dealing with."

Sakura slid her hand into Syaoran's free one. He smiled at her then turned back to the task at hand. As he spoke the board began to glow. A beam of light shot out from it and hit a figure standing atop the bell tower illuminating him.

He was taller than Syaoran and looked to be several years older as well. His face might be handsome, but it was also cold and arrogant. His jade eyes settled on Sakura, and a cold smile appeared on his face. Sakura shivered and took a half step behind Syaoran. Syaoran bristled and dropped the laisen board.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"It's about time you found me. I expected more from a descendant of Clow Reed. I am Saburo Sato, and I am here to claim my prize."

Kari glared at him, "Sakura's no one's prize. She's her own person and gives her heart to whom she chooses."

Saburo sneered at her, "Bold words from someone without even an ounce of magic to protect her."

Kari clutched her digivice which had begun to glow. T.K. grabbed her other hand as his digivice also began to glow.

"Patamon digivolve to Angemon."

"Gatomon digivolve to Angewomon."

The two angels towered over the two teens. Kari smiled sweetly, "You were saying?"

Syaoran drew his sword and put himself between Saburo and Sakura. Sakura held her staff in one hand while she drew several cards from her pocket. Saburo just laughed, "You are pitiful. How can you hope to defeat me?"

T.K. raised an eyebrow, "Do you know many times we've heard that?"

"Enough small talk."

Saburo shot a blast at Syaoran. Sakura raised her staff, "Shield!"

One domed shield covered Sakura and Syaoran while another protected Kari and T.K. and a third covered Tomoyo. The two angel digimon sprung into action.

"Hand of Fate!"

"Celestial Arrow!"

Saburo flinched as the two attacks hit him. Kari grinned, "Not so smug now are you?"

He shot another burst of energy at her, but it bounced harmlessly off the shield. Sakura lowered the shield around herself and Syaoran, so they could attack Saburo. The two of tem shared a look then sprang into action.

Saburo didn't stand a chance. If he had only been up against Sakura, or even just Syaoran, he might have won. But together they were unbeatable. They moved in perfect harmony as if they had been fighting together for years.

It was a fierce battle, but it was over quickly. Sakura held him in magical bonds while Tomoyo retrieved some rope. The five of them left Saburo tied up in front of the local police station with a nice note of explanation. Afterwards, Sakura practically collapsed into Syaoran's arms.

"I'm so glad this is finally over," she sighed.

Syaoran hugged her slightly and kissed her forehead, "Come on, let's go home."

***

Two weeks later found everyone relaxing by Tomoyo's pool. The Digidestined had been invited, and Tomoyo being Tomoyo had designed swimsuits for all the girls sporting their crests. Sakura and Syaoran were already there, Sakura wearing another of Tomoyo's designs; this one with a cherry blossom pattern.

Kari sighed with happiness; everything was back to normal. Or at least as normal as things ever got. Sora sat on Tai's lap while discussing fashion with Mimi and Tomoyo. Joe was keeping an eye on everyone in the pool, which was most of the group while Yolei and Ken napped in a hammock. Davis was harassing T.K. and Syaoran.

Sakura raised her lemonade to toast Kari, "Here's to everything ending well."

"You said it."

About a half hour later, Davis had fallen asleep in a deck chair. Syaoran looked at T.K. Wide grins spread across both their faces. Picking Davis up by his arms and legs, they carried him over to the deep end of the pool.

"On three?"

"On three."

"One; two; three!"

Davis went sailing into the water and came up sputtering. Kari skipped over to T.K.

"My hero," was all she said before kissing him soundly.

Sakura tapped Syaoran on the shoulder, "What she said."

Tomoyo grinned and began tapping the two kissing couples. 

Owari (the end)


End file.
